In our last post, You Are Not The Main Character | Romans 1:1-4, we talked about how that when we study the Old Testament, we need to look for Jesus because all of Scripture is about Him. I said to make sure to come back for our next post where we will look at how to do that.
Well, here it is! Let's jump right into how to find Jesus in the Old Testament.
I want to start with an example of a story in the Old Testament that most of us know but that we might not know that it actually points to Jesus.
David and Goliath. 1 Samuel 17.
I cannot speak for you, but I never learned in Sunday school growing up that this story had anything to do with Jesus and the Gospel. I just learned that God could fight my battles for me (which He absolutely can), but it is also important that we see Jesus in the story. (He is the main character, remember?)
Think about the story of David and Goliath. If you have never heard it or need a refresher, I encourage you to turn to 1 Samuel 17 really quick and then come back.
There was this giant, Goliath, who the Israelites were powerless to fight against. They needed a champion to come along and fight the battle for them. We too have a giant that we are powerless to fight against: our sin. There is NOTHING we can do to save ourselves. We need a champion to come along and win the battle for us.
Then, here came David. David fought Goliath and brought the victory to Israel. In the same way, here came Jesus who took on the sin of the world and brought victory to all who would place their faith and trust in Him.
So, now that you have seen an example, let's really dig into how to see that.
As you are reading an Old Testament passage, think about what you know about Jesus' life on earth and His ministry. Think about the Gospel. Are there any parallels?
Even the small details matter. Recently, I was reading in 2 Samuel, and it talked about David weeping on the Mount of Olives. (Does that ring a bell? Jesus wept over Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives.)
It really is as simple as looking at the text, thinking about what you know about Jesus, and asking yourself, "Do I see any parallels from the life of Jesus/details from this story that remind me of Jesus' life and the Gospel?".
Now, you might be reading this and thinking, "Leslie, I don't know that much about Jesus' life, so that's going to be a little hard for me."
If that's you, that's okay! I would encourage you to start this journey by reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament. It will help you get to know Jesus more and teach you A LOT about His life and ministry!
Wherever you are on the journey, there is a next step for you to take!
It takes practice and time for seeing Jesus in the Old Testament to become natural when you study your Bible, but eventually, it will.
The more you practice looking for Jesus in the Old Testament, the better you will get at it and the more enriched your Bible study will be.
You will find yourself growing in your knowledge of the Word and most importantly, the closer you will become to Jesus. That is worth everything.
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